Climate News Live

With everyone looking for alternative solutions to our energy needs, environmentalists are divided on whether nuclear energy is a possibility.  Groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are against, while Environmental Defense and the Wildlife Habitat Council are for. Quoted Steve Cochran, climate campaign director for Environmental Defense:

“If we are serious about solving the largest issue in the world, we have to be willing to look at nontraditional options like nuclear,” Cochran said. “It’s not that we don’t see risks. But we have to keep an open mind.”

The Politico, January 31, 2008

Submitted by M. Brooks

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The green technology boom similar to the internet boom of the 1990s that everyone hopes for might not ever happen, if our economy goes into a serious recession. Unlike web companies, energy technologies require significant capital to get off the ground.

Slumping stock markets, driven by signs of a U.S. recession, make the option of getting expansion money through an initial public offering a lot less likely, said Rob Day, a clean tech investor at @Ventures.

"Some companies that were relying on going the route of an IPO will be in trouble," he said, adding that venture firms that are relatively new to the green-tech arena may pull out....  Sectors within clean tech considered overheated, notably solar, are perhaps most vulnerable.

New York Times, January 29, 2008

Submitted by B. Shapiro

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In an Accenture poll of 500 major firms around the globe, it was found only 1 in 10 rate climate change initiatives as a priority. 

"Nearly twice as many see climate change as imposing costs on their business as those who believe it presents an opportunity to make money. And the report's publishers believe that big business will concentrate even less on climate change as the world economy deteriorates."

Seems the President's belief that businesses will voluntary take on energy efficient practices might be misplaced.  Encouragement and/or incentives seem to be needed and wanted, as four out of five companies surveyed want government to play a central role in tackling climate change.

The Independent, January 28, 2008

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President Bush is submitting a budget with $18 billion of program cuts, but has committed $2 billion to an international clean technology fund to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also remains committed to clean coal technologies but is allowing Secretary of Energy Bodman to discontinue the $1.8 billion FutureGen coal plant that will showcase advanced coal-based carbon capture and sequestration. 

To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology. Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil...The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more efficient technology.

White House Press Office, January 28, 2008

Submitted by B. Shapiro

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CME Group -- the world's largest futures exchange, dominating corn, grain, and gold trading -- yesterday announced it has entered an exclusive negotiating period to acquire energy exchange Nymex for $11.3 billion dollars. Currently, Chicago-based CME allows investors to trade contracts based on the price of the underlying commodity or event, such as changes in interest rates, or prices for gold and corn.

New York's Nymex focuses on energy and metals contracts trading. If successful, the merger would create the largest exchange group in the world with a combined market capitalization of nearly $60 billion. This has drawn US Justice Department attention on monopoly concerns, even as it raises important regulation questions. The sub-prime crisis spotlighted key weaknesses in the regulation of global financial markets, particularly of complex derivative instruments. The widespread consolidation of derivatives trading -- exemplified by CME's bid for Nymex -- heightens the impetus for increased regulation. However, the regulatory measures currently under discussion are insufficient to address pressing concerns over systemic risk, and thus unlikely to bolster fragile market confidence.

CME Group, January 28, 2008

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Tyson's profit is falling as a result of low ethanol demand combined with record costs for grain, increased fuel, and low cattle availability for slaughter.

"We have no other choice but to raise prices substantially," CEO Richard Bond said in a conference call. "We are raising prices because we can't absorb these costs. Despite concerns about the economy, people have to eat, and they will continue to eat protein."

CNN Money, January 28, 2008

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Because of the global impacts of climate change, the increased cost of petroleum-based fuel and increased calls for energy independence, many industries are investing in the research and development of renewable energy.  One indicator of this trend is the substantial increase in the patenting of biofuel technologies.

The article, "Biofuel Patents are Booming" examines the exponential increase in US biofuel patents in recent years, culminating in over 1000 new biofuel patents in 2007. The article is authored by Ron Kamis, a partner, and Mandar Joshi, Ph.D., a technical specialist, of the Intellectual Property Group and the Energy, Clean Technology and Climate Change Law and Policy Group of Baker & Daniels LLP.  The article has also been published by Cleantech Group LLC.

Click on the link above to read the full report.

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Governments in Europe and other countries have begun studying whether particular biofuels are truly produced in environmentally friendly manners.  As benefits have been found to be overstated, the generous subsidies are being cut.

"Several countries — including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, as well as parts of Canada — have removed or are revising incentives for farmers, biofuel refiners and distributors. The manufacturers and sellers will have to quantify their fuel’s net effect on the environment before being eligible for subsidies, or even to count toward national biofuel quotas. Many European countries aim to have 5.75 percent of their transportation fuel made from renewable sources by the end of the year."

Corn ethanol in particular is being increasingly viewed as unworthy of subsidies.

New York Times, January 22, 2008

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Zurich Financial Services is among the leaders of the insurance revolution factoring climate change into risk assessments.

"The risks associated with climate change go well beyond rising sea levels, and reflect the burgeoning regulatory and financial infrastructures being created to address this major societal concern," explained [Mike] Kerner [Zurich's Chief Underwriting Officer].

Zurich North America, January 21, 2008

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With wind and solar power use growing substantially over the last year, tens of thousands of jobs are being created to support the burgeoning industries.

"The wind-power trade group said seven new factories opened in 2007, and it believes there are close to 20,000 jobs now in wind energy in the U.S., with nearly half added in the past year. The renewable-energy sector expects to add tens of thousands of jobs in the next decade."

A "clean tech" jobs training program could be very useful in those (and other) communities.

Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2008

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In true Beltway fashion, well-meaning legislation to combat climate change has brought on a variety of lobbyists, who are fighting for their organizations' agendas - even at the expense of the broader bill.

Sierra Club, Greenpeace and similar groups are aligning lobbying forces to revise major portions of the bill, saying some of the solutions could have the opposite effect [of curbing greenhouse emissions].

The Politico, January 16, 2008

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Nearly all of the major automotive manufacturers are scrambling to produce new all-electric vehicles a decade after GM killed off the EV-1.

Environmental advocates see plug-ins as a way to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The sharp increase in fuel economy the vehicles could also help automakers meet more stringent U.S. fuel economy standards.

New York Times, January 15, 2008

Submitted by B. Shapiro

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Morgan Stanley is now invested in environmentally-focused venture capital groups.

Jeff Holzschuh, chairman of Morgan's environmental committee, said the company expects more people to invest in the clean-technology sector because of mushrooming energy costs, constraints on natural resources and a growing acknowledgment of global warming.

Forbes, January 15, 2008

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The EU is proposing to restrict the importation of biofuels that primarily affect palm oil and Latin American imports.

If approved by European governments, the law would prohibit the importation of fuels derived from crops grown on certain kinds of land — including forests, wetlands or grasslands — into the 27-nation bloc.

The draft law would also require that biofuels used in Europe deliver “a minimum level of greenhouse gas savings.” That level is still under discussion.

New York Times, January 15, 2008

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Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) has indicated he will release a House counterpart to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, though it will be slightly different.

Dingell suggested the automakers, including struggling General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co, and Chrysler LLC, did enough in the newly approved law that boosts vehicle fuel efficiency targets by 40 percent by 2020, and that he would look for other industries to contribute to a climate bill.

Reuters, January 15, 2008

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Even with likely government approval, we have not yet heard the end of the Cape Cod wind farm.

The nation's first proposed offshore wind-energy project cleared its most formidable hurdle yesterday as the US Minerals Management Service declared that the wind farm off Cape Cod would have little lasting impact on wildlife, navigation, and tourism.

The Boston Globe, January 15, 2008.

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Release of patents should provide boost to application of more environmentally-friendly practices.

"Leading members of the corporate community have come together in a first-of-its-kind effort to help the environment, unleashing dozens of innovative, environmentally responsible patents to the public domain.  Availability of these patents will encourage researchers, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes in any industry to create, apply and further develop their consumer or industrial products, processes and services in a way that will help to protect and respect the environment."

World Business Council for Sustainable Development, January 14, 2007

Submitted by J. Andrews

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The pollution prevention and energy efficiency program, better known as P2E2, partners up multinational companies with Chinese companies in an effort to reduce their emissions and make Chinese products more environmentally-friendly.

China is poised to pass the U.S. as the world's largest carbon emitter. Chinese factories, which churn out shoes, electronics and other goods for the world, typically get their energy from heavily polluting coal-fired power plants. Curbing emissions from China's factories has become a growing focus of the global battle against climate change and the emission of heat-trapping gases that contribute to it.

The U.S. government essentially plays the role of matchmaker, helping factories connect with funding and services. At a forum on P2E2 on Saturday in Hong Kong, U.S. companies met potential partners. P2E2 is based on an unconventional financing program...

The Wall Street Journal, January 14, 2008

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About 30 donated patents from large companies such as IBM, Sony, and Nokia are the initial impetus in setting up a repository of shared technologies to benefit the environment.

The project, dubbed the "Eco-Patent Commons," builds on the experience of the open-source software movement in which programmers around the world freely share their computer programs, said David Kappos, IBM's assistant general counsel for patent law, who helped design the system. He said that "the advantage of using this commons approach is efficiency, scale and visibility."

The Wall Street Journal, January 14, 2008

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Although decreasing reliance on fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been a huge driver in the EU's plans to require 10% of transportation fuels to be biofuels, there has been a small backlash over using foodstocks for fuel.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in a BBC interview the EU had initially underestimated the danger to rainforests and the risk of forcing up food prices from its policy of setting binding targets for the use of biofuels.

"We have seen that the environmental problems caused by biofuels and also the social problems are bigger than we thought they were. So we have to move very carefully," he said.

Reuters, January 14, 2008

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Generators of greenhouse gases would now have to report emissions.

Big companies and government agencies in Washington would have to measure their contributions to the world's growing greenhouse gases — and share that information with the public — under a proposal announced this morning by Gov. Christine Gregoire.

The Seattle Time, January 14, 2008.

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The Group has backed away from a number of big ticket items, potentially compromising Minnesota's role in the fight against climate change.

Three weeks before its deadline for submitting pollution-fighting measures to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group has acknowledged that it's deadlocked on vehicle efficiency standards and probably won't propose a statewide carbon emissions reduction strategy.

Star Tribune, January 13, 2008.

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At the premier United States auto show, automakers' displays of future models and concept cars had a distinct theme: fuel-efficiency. Whether they showed off hybrids, advanced diesels, or alternative fuel cars, automakers have responded to the new CAFE standards signed into law a week prior by President Bush.

''The industry all together has to show further and faster improvements on the fuel-efficiency side,'' said Dieter Zetsche, chief executive of Daimler AG, which has pushed a diesel strategy to improve its fuel efficiency.

The auto industry has made vehicles more efficient in recent years, but much of the gains have been offset by increases in horsepower and vehicle weight.

New York Times, January 13, 2008

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Battery technology has prevented more efficient hybrids and all-electric cars from coming to market.

The limits of electric-car technology are achingly clear in one of the most-heralded cars on the drawing board: GM's Chevy Volt. GM executives mention the prototype, which the Detroit auto maker aims to put into production in three years, nearly every time they discuss their vision for "gas free" cars. But GM still hasn't solved the battery problem.

The Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2008

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The multi-billion dollar construction industry is beginning to embrace green construction techniques.

Rocketing energy costs and increasing water bills are of course major factors in America's sudden conversion to sustainability and environmentalism.

Perhaps not surprisingly America's venture capitalists have quickly spotted the trend and are pouring millions of dollars into companies that promise more environmentally friendly building materials.
 

Guardian Unlimited, January 11, 2008

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Grassroots environmental advocacy being advanced by Gore.

"With a former vice president on its side, a group of Johnson County residents have set out to educate the community on ways to help the environment.  The group members all have completed extensive training with The Climate Project, a non-profit organization supported by Al Gore."

The Kansas City Star, January 11, 2008.

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Arizona moves forward with emissions plan regardless of the federal government's actions.

"Arizona proposed new state-level auto-emission standards Thursday aimed at curbing greenhouse-gas pollution, defying a federal edict that only Washington can impose such rules." 

The Arizona Republic, January 11, 2008.

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Recognizing the increased demand for green buildings and building materials, venture capitalists are investing in green construction companies - albeit those that produce energy efficiency with an eye for profit.

"I subscribe to the view things have to be cheaper first and greener second. While I believe the rest of the world believes you have to pay more for green, philosophically I am not a fan of that approach and believe people won't buy more expensive stuff," [Vinod Khosla] said.

The Guardian, Jan. 11, 2008.

Submitted by M. Brooks

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The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries have been won by candidates who favor acting to prevent further climate change.

Sen. McCain of Arizona is the sponsor of one of the first bills to curb climate-warming pollution. Sen. Clinton of New York is a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which managed last month to approve a new carbon-capping bill -- the first time this has ever happened. Sen. Obama of Illinois has said his first priority to combat global warming if he is elected would be to enact a carbon cap that would cut U.S. emissions by 80 percent. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, supports a cap-and-trade approach to fight global warming but has not been specific about how that might work in his administration.

Reuters, January 10, 2008

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Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission held its first hearing in a series on green marketing, this one focusing on carbon offsets.

"As more companies use offset programs to create an environmental halo over their products, the commission said it was growing increasingly concerned that some green marketing assertions were not substantiated. Environmentalists have a word for such misleading advertising: "greenwashing.""

The FTC also questioned how much carbon dioxide can be neutralized by tree-planting, which is a common form of offsets.

New York Times, January 9, 2008

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Over the remaining six months of Slovenia's EU Presidency, Janez Jansa will try to push forward a cluster of climate change and energy reforms for approval in the middle of next year.

Prime Minister Janez Jansa told a news conference he would aim by the end of the Slovene presidency on June 30 to have had a first reading in the European Parliament of proposals due to be unveiled later this month intended to spur wider use of renewable energies and include targets for CO2 reductions.

Reuters, January 7, 2008

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The EPA recently released a report that finds the use of grassy swales, rain barrels, and small urban wetlands to capture polluted stormwater runoff to be cheaper than building pavements, gutters, and stormwater drains.  These low impact development strategies, which use design techniques that infiltrate, evapo-transpirate, and reuse runoff, have produced savings ranging from 15 to 80 percent for many communities. 

EPA, January 4, 2008

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States claim the United States Government is ignoring the "will of the people."

"California led 15 other states and five environmental groups into federal court Wednesday to challenge the Bush administration's refusal to let the state limit vehicle emissions of gases that contribute to global warming."

The San Francisco Chronicle, January 3, 2008.

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Indian Premier Says Developed Industrialized Nations Most Responsible for Global Climate Change and for Correcting Damage.

"Stating that the Climate Change poses a great challenge to India’s developmental prospects, he stressed on the need for a three-pronged strategy to tackle it that would include a global response, a national response and a local response……'An effective global response has to grapple with issues of sustainability, issues of equity and thirdly issues of efficiency,” he said, adding, “I believe our response must be pro-active and based on our finding feasible and practical solutions to the real and potential threats we face.'"

Thaindian News, January 3, 2008

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Milestone reached in face of increased demand, instability abroad.

"Crude oil prices soared to $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time, reaching that milestone amid an unshakeable view that global demand for oil and petroleum products will outstrip supplies. Surging economies in China and India fed by oil and gasoline have sent prices soaring over the past year, while tensions in oil producing nations like Nigeria and Iran have increasingly made investors nervous and invited speculators to drive prices even higher. Violence in Nigeria helped give crude the final push over $100."

The Washington Post, January 2, 2008

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With oil prices expected to remain high, the clear winners could be alternative fuels.

"High petroleum prices might hit your wallet hard, but $100-a-barrel oil has some environmentalists quietly celebrating. The more expensive oil gets, the more attractive alternative — and climate-friendly — fuels become. Biofuels that would be buried by $17-a-barrel crude — the price as recently as November 2001 — are suddenly competitive when oil is in the triple digits. Ultra-efficient cars, public transit, plug-in hybrids — they all become better investments as oil gets and stays expensive. Global greenhouse gas emissions have skyrocketed over the past few decades on the back of relatively cheap oil, but as the price rises, it pays to decarbonize, and the climate will benefit. Most immediately, expensive oil essentially ties the hands of consumers, all but forcing them to use less, or deal with the economic pain. "Price plays a huge role," says Nathanael Greene, a senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The interesting question is how long prices will stay high and how volatile they'll be."

Time Magazine, January 2, 2008

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Judge refuses to dismiss suit that would prevent Rhode Island from implementing its own carbon pollution standards.

"A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit seeking to prevent Rhode Island from setting its own standards for carbon dioxide pollution from automobiles can go forward."

The Providence Journal, January 1, 2008.

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